Smart keyboard management for a multifunction device with a touch screen display

• US 8,274,536 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Michelle L
• Application Number:
  US12/566,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 345/676, 715/784
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A method is performed at a multifunction device with a touch screen display. The method includes displaying a text entry interface with a soft keyboard in a first area and a viewing area with a first size to display scrollable information. The method detects a finger gesture on the viewing area, and responds to the gesture. When the viewing area displays only a portion of the information, the response includes: (1) ceasing to display the soft keyboard, (2) expanding the viewing area to a second size, including at least some of the first area, and (3) scrolling the information in the expanded viewing area. When the viewing area with the first size displays all of the information, the response includes: (1) maintaining display of the soft keyboard, (2) keeping the viewing area at the first size, and (3) moving the information in the viewing area based on the finger gesture.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a multifunction device with a touch screen display;

displaying a text entry interface on the touch screen display, the text entry interface comprising;

a soft keyboard in a first area on the touch screen display, and

a viewing area with a first size when the soft keyboard is displayed, the viewing area configured to display scrollable information;

detecting a first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

when the viewing area with the first size displays only a portion of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

ceasing to display the soft keyboard,

expanding the viewing area to a second size, wherein the expanded viewing area includes at least some of the first area , and

scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area; and

,

when the viewing area with the first size displays all of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

maintaining display of the soft keyboard,

keeping the viewing area at the first size, and

translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in accordance with the first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in accordance with the first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area comprises:

translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in a first direction while the first finger scrolling gesture is detected on the touch screen display; and

undoing the translation of all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in the first direction by translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in a second direction opposite the first direction when the first finger scrolling gesture is no longer detected on the touch screen display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing area with the first size is adjacent to the first area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first finger scrolling gesture is a swipe gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first finger scrolling gesture is a vertical swipe gesture.

6. The method of claim 1, including:

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, redisplaying the soft keyboard and shrinking the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size when the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area stops scrolling.

7. The method of claim 1, including:

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, redisplaying the soft keyboard and shrinking the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size after the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area stops scrolling for a predefined time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the text entry interface includes a text input area on the touch screen display, the method further including:

in response to detecting the first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area, maintaining display of the text input area on the touch screen display;

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, detecting a second finger gesture on the text input area; and

,

in response to detecting the second finger gesture on the text input area;

redisplaying the soft keyboard, and

shrinking the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size.

9. A graphical user interface on a multifunction device with a touch screen display, comprising:

displaying a text entry interface on the touch screen display, the text entry interface comprising;

a soft keyboard in a first area on the touch screen display, and

a viewing area with a first size when the soft keyboard is displayed, the viewing area configured to display scrollable information;

detecting a finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

wherein;

when the viewing area with the first size displays only a portion of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

ceasing to display the soft keyboard,

expanding the viewing area to a second size, wherein the expanded viewing area includes at least some of the first area , and

scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area; and

,

when the viewing area with the first size displays all of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

maintaining display of the soft keyboard,

keeping the viewing area at the first size, and

translating the scrollable information in the viewing area in accordance with the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area.

10. A multifunction device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a text entry interface on the touch screen display, the text entry interface comprising;

a soft keyboard in a first area on the touch screen display, and

a viewing area with a first size when the soft keyboard is displayed, the viewing area configured to display scrollable information;

detecting a finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

when the viewing area with the first size displays only a portion of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

ceasing to display the soft keyboard,

expanding the viewing area to a second size, wherein the expanded viewing area includes at least some of the first area, and

scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area; and

,

when the viewing area with the first size displays all of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

maintaining display of the soft keyboard,

keeping the viewing area at the first size, and

translating the scrollable information in the viewing area in accordance with the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in accordance with the first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area comprises:

translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in a first direction while the first finger scrolling gesture is detected on the touch screen display; and

undoing the translation of all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in the first direction by translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in a second direction opposite the first direction when the first finger scrolling gesture is no longer detected on the touch screen display.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the viewing area with the first size is adjacent to the first area.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the finger scrolling gesture is a swipe gesture.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the finger scrolling gesture is a vertical swipe gesture.

16. The device of claim 10, including instructions for:

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, redisplaying the soft keyboard and shrinking the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size when the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area stops scrolling.

17. The device of claim 10, including instructions for:

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, redisplaying the soft keyboard and shrinking the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size after the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area stops scrolling for a predefined time.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the text entry interface includes a text input area on the touch screen display, the device including instructions for:

in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area, maintaining display of the text input area on the touch screen display;

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, detecting a second finger gesture on the text input area; and

,

in response to detecting the second finger gesture on the text input area;

redisplaying the soft keyboard, and

shrinking the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a multifunction device with a touch screen display, cause the device to:

display a text entry interface on the touch screen display, the text entry interface comprising;

a soft keyboard in a first area on the touch screen display, and

a viewing area with a first size when the soft keyboard is displayed, the viewing area configured to display scrollable information;

detect a finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

when the viewing area with the first size displays only a portion of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

cease to display the soft keyboard,

expand the viewing area to a second size, wherein the expanded viewing area includes at least some of the first area , and

scroll the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area; and

,

when the viewing area with the first size displays all of the scrollable information, in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area;

maintain display of the soft keyboard,

keep the viewing area at the first size, and

translate the scrollable information in the viewing area in accordance with the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in accordance with the first finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area comprises:

translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in a first direction while the first finger scrolling gesture is detected on the touch screen display; and

undoing the translation of all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in the first direction by translating all of the scrollable information in the viewing area in a second direction opposite the first direction when the first finger scrolling gesture is no longer detected on the touch screen display.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the viewing area with the first size is adjacent to the first area.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the finger scrolling gesture is a swipe gesture.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the finger scrolling gesture is a vertical swipe gesture.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, including instructions which cause the device to:

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, redisplay the soft keyboard and shrink the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size when the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area stops scrolling.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, including instructions which cause the device to:

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, redisplay the soft keyboard and shrink the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size after the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area stops scrolling for a predefined time.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the text entry interface includes a text input area on the touch screen display, the computer readable storage medium including instructions which cause the device to:

in response to detecting the finger scrolling gesture on the viewing area, maintain display of the text input area on the touch screen display;

after scrolling the scrollable information in the expanded viewing area, detect a second finger gesture on the text input area; and

,

in response to detecting the second finger gesture on the text input area;

redisplay the soft keyboard, and

shrink the expanded viewing area from the second size to the first size.